Often yes, if you ask. Tree crews chip the branches they cut, and many would rather drop a load of chips at a yard than pay to dump them. Whether a particular company will do it depends on the company and the job.
Need this done? See tree Mulching in Greenville, SC or call (864) 555-0142.
Some Greenville companies advertise free wood-chip drop-off as a side offer. Do not count on it unless the company says so in writing.
Why do crews have chips to give away?
When a crew trims or removes a tree, the small limbs go into a chipper. The chipper turns them into a pile of chips in the truck or on the ground. A crew has to do something with that pile. Hauling it to a dump costs time and fees, so leaving it with a homeowner who wants it saves them both.
Chips come from whatever tree was cut. They can include leaves, twigs and bark, which is normal.
How do you ask for the chips?
Say so when you ask for the estimate, not on the day of the job. Tell the crew you want the chips, how much room you have and where to put them. A load can be bigger than people expect: a large tree can make a truck bed of chips, and a big removal can make more than one.
Ask whether the chips are left on the ground or delivered in a truck bed, and whether you can have them even if you are not hiring the company for a job. Many only give chips to customers.
What are fresh wood chips good for?
They are good on paths, under shrubs and around established trees, where they hold moisture and slow weeds. They make a soft, cheap cover for play areas and a mulch layer for a garden path. Piled in a compost bin, they break down into soil.
They are less good right up against a plant's stem, or fresh in a vegetable bed. Fresh chips use up nitrogen as they rot, so the plants nearby can look yellow for a while. Aged chips work better in a garden.
What should you keep out of the pile?
Be careful with chips from a tree that was dead or diseased. They are fine for paths far from the house, but not around plants you care about. Chips from a tree with pests can spread them. Ask the crew what kind of tree it was and why it came down.
Do not use chips from a tree that was treated with a chemical, or that stood near a road where salt and oil might have gotten onto it, in a food garden. And keep a pile away from the house: a big, wet pile of wood chips can heat up as it rots.
How thick should the layer be?
For mulching around trees, a few inches is enough. Keep the mulch back from the trunk, so the bark can dry. You can read the details in how thick mulch should be around a tree.
On a path you can go thicker, since there are no roots to protect, but a deep layer takes time to settle and lasts longer.
What if you do not want the chips?
Tell the crew early. Many will haul them off, but that can be a line item on the quote. A pile that lands in your driveway with no warning is a nuisance, and a pile left under a tree is a mess to move.
If you would rather buy mulch, a landscape supplier can deliver by the yard. That is a different job from tree work. See the tree mulching page for the options.
What about forestry mulching?
Forestry mulching is a different job. A machine grinds brush and small trees in place on a lot, leaving a layer of mulch. That is priced by the hour or the acre, not as a side benefit of tree work.
Ready to ask about chips?
Call or send the estimate form, and say you want the chips from your tree work, how much room you have and where to put them. We will tell you what the crew can do and whether the chips are part of the price.
Need help with this?
See our tree Mulching page for how it works and typical prices, or call (864) 555-0142 and tell us what you’re looking at.